Page 48

Chapter

Thirty-Two

WRATH

M orning came with a clarity I hadn't experienced since before.

..anything, really. The fog of exhaustion had lifted, leaving behind a strange, heightened awareness that made even the dust motes dancing in the sunbeams seem significant.

I sat up gently, surprised to find my body less painful than expected.

Sore, yes, but functional—like I'd run a marathon rather than torn open ancient wards and scorched half a forest.

The manor was unusually quiet as I made my way downstairs, dressed in soft leggings and an oversized sweater I'd found laid out for me. The grand staircase creaked softly beneath my feet, the sound echoing through the empty entrance hall. Where was everyone?

I followed the scent of something sweet and cinnamon-laced to the kitchen, expecting perhaps coffee and solitude. Instead, I found a very unexpected gathering.

Kiva sat perched on a stool at the center island, feet swinging as she devoured a pancake tower with goblin-like enthusiasm.

Beside her was a dryad girl with bark-flecked freckles and hair like moss and petals, delicately spooning fruit from a bowl.

Across from them sat a selkie girl in human form, eyes ocean-deep and hair still damp, nibbling daintily at a scone.

And next to her, a boy incubus with curling black horns and mismatched eyes leaned back smugly, a piece of bacon dangling from his fingers like a trophy.

"You're awake!" Kiva called with her mouth full.

The others turned to look at me with varying degrees of curiosity. The dryad gave a polite nod, the selkie offered a shy smile, and the incubus smirked like he knew all my secrets.

"I am," I said, making my way to the coffee. "And very confused."

"Breakfast club," the incubus boy said smoothly. "We meet every morning. Attendance is mandatory if you want syrup."

"I made the pancakes," Kiva added proudly. "Mostly. Sloth helped. But he's not here. He's meditating. Or pretending to."

I poured a cup of coffee and took a seat among them, feeling oddly at peace.

"So. Introductions?"

"This is Lark," Kiva said, gesturing to the dryad. "She came from the forest near Venice. And that’s Sula," she added, pointing to the selkie. "She washed up on the coast last week. We’re pretty sure the sea sent her."

"And I’m Nic," said the incubus, offering a mock bow. "Short for Nicodemus. Please don’t call me that."

“Jib,” said the goblin shortly, going back to his breakfast. But his eyes held respect, thanks, and warmth.

"Wrath," I said simply. They didn’t blink at the name.

"We know," Nic said. "We felt it."

"Felt what?"

"The change," Lark said softly. "When you woke up. The garden whispered."

"The sea whispered too," Sula murmured. "It said you're like the storm before spring."

"And you made the wards go boom," Kiva said cheerfully. "Which was awesome."

I took a sip of my coffee, hiding my smile behind the mug.

Breakfast continued in a pleasant blur—syrup and laughter, crumbs and sticky fingers. I passed the butter. Nic stole my toast. Sula offered me sea-salted honey, which was somehow both weird and amazing. Lark shared dried apricots she'd foraged herself.

This wasn't just breakfast. It was a glimpse of something I hadn’t dared hope for: family. A patchwork one, made of strays and survivors and children who’d seen too much—but family, nonetheless.

And somehow, I was part of it.

I didn't know what the rest of the day would bring. I was worried about Lust and needed to check on him. But for now, the smell of coffee, the sound of laughter, the warmth of a kitchen full of strange and wonderful children.

It felt like home.

I settled onto the stool beside her, sipping the perfectly brewed coffee. "So they left you all alone?"

"Pff," Kiva made a dismissive noise. "I'm never alone here now! And even if we were, the house watches."

The rest of them nodded solemnly. I blinked, realizing she was right. There was always a subtle awareness of Gluttony's manor, an attention that shifted and followed like the sensation of being watched but somehow comforting rather than intrusive.

"Fair enough," I conceded. "How long have they been gone?"

"Since before sunrise," she said, pushing her empty plate away with a satisfied sigh. "They've been arguing about what to do next. The loud one?—"

"Greed?"

"Yeah, him. The sleepy one said he was stupid."

"Sloth?"

She nodded. "The angry one with the books?—"

"Pride?"

"He just kept saying we need more information before we do anything else." She hopped down from her stool and made her way to the sink, standing on tiptoes to rinse her sticky hands. "The pretty one wanted to find you weapons."

I put a hand to my mouth to stifle my giggles.

"Let me guess. That would be Lust?" I asked.

Nic turned, his eyes a kaleidoscope of colors as he looked at me, deadly serious. "He says you're the weapon."

I nearly choked on my coffee. Before I could ask what exactly that meant, a commotion at the front of the house drew our attention. Doors opened and closed, footsteps approached, voices raised in continued debate.

The Sins were back.

Pride entered first, his impeccable appearance belying the tension evident in his tightly controlled movements.

Envy and Greed came next, still deep in heated discussion, followed by Sloth who looked almost animated for once.

Gluttony brought up the rear, his ancient eyes scanning the kitchen before settling on me with mild surprise.

Lust was last, his jacket slung over one shoulder, hair slightly disheveled. He walked with a limp and looked like he was in pain.

I ran to him, throwing my arms around him.

"You're up," he stated, as everyone fell momentarily silent. He gently hugged me back as I took him in. He smelled of lightning and cinnamon; musk and danger.

"And feeling much better, thank you," I replied, raising my coffee cup in a small salute. "Kiva and the others have been keeping me company."

Their tension visibly eased at my casual tone, as if they'd expected to find me still weakened or upset from last night. Only Lust seemed unsurprised, his eyes meeting mine with quiet understanding.

Gluttony met my gaze then looked away, embarrassed.

"So what's our first step?" I asked, ready now.

Pride smiled, clearly pleased by my focus. "We train. Each of us works with you individually to strengthen those specific connections. Then we practice channeling power as a group."

"Consider it a supernatural bootcamp," Greed added with a wicked grin.

"Starting now?" I stood, surprising myself with my eagerness. After days of feeling lost, overwhelmed by powers I didn't understand, the prospect of action—of purpose—was energizing.

"Soon," Gluttony said. "First, you need to rest. And we need to prepare the training grounds."

"Training grounds?" I echoed.

Lust's smile turned mischievous. "G has a rather special basement. It survived the east wing incident, thankfully. We also have some space we will set up outside as well so we don’t completely destroy his mansion."

"I'm not sure if I should be intrigued or terrified," I admitted.

"Both," all six Sins replied in unison, then looked at each other in surprise.

I laughed at their synchronized response. "Well, at least you all agree on something."

Nic picked up a gooey cinnamon roll and held it out to Lust, his eyes wide.

Ooh, looks like he had a new best friend.

It was so cute.

We all sat down to eat, hunched around the round table. Greed sat on the counter, happily munching on cereal. Envy took a protein bar. Gluttony stood, hovering over all of us like an anxious mother hen.

“The council has been contacted. They’re going to look to see if there is a deeper ring to the traffickers. Each of them should be picked up by this afternoon by their respective clans and families,” Gluttony said, voice devoid of emotion.

I frowned, as did the children.

“Oh. I guess I thought they’d stay longer,” I said softly.

Gluttony frowned, his mouth opening, then closing quickly.

“Children, Diana has set up...activities for you outside when you are finished.”

He turned and left the kitchen without further fuss, leaving us.

I wanted to desperately ask the others what was going on, but not in front of the children.

“Well, that sounds fun!” I said, pasting on a smile. “Why don’t you all go now and see what she has planned? I’ll clean up.”

They didn’t need to be told twice, abandoning their half-eaten plates for the promise of more fun. Kiva led the way out the backdoor to the garden with a shout, the others screaming behind her. Greed winced, and Sloth covered his ears.

Lust slumped in his chair as soon as they were gone. Our bond hummed between us, his presence as familiar to me now as my own heartbeat.

"How are you really feeling?" I asked him softly.

He sighed. "Better physically. Mentally...I'm still processing. Everything's happening so fast."

I hesitated. "What did Kiva mean when she said you called me a weapon?"

Lust winced slightly. "Poor choice of words on my part. What I meant was your ability to channel and redirect emotion. Hades used you on purpose to rebuild that mirror.”

He stepped closer, his aura brushing against mine in that now-familiar sensation of connection. "But you're not just a weapon. You're not just Wrath, or a witch, or any single thing. You're all of it at once. And that's what makes you..."

"A freak?" I supplied with a wry smile.

"Extraordinary," Greed corrected firmly.

The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard. He hopped off the counter and picked me up, hugging me hard. He plopped me down on the counter and kissed me, rough and wild. And I loved it.

“Hey, stop hogging the new sin!” Envy protested, laughing.

Greed pulled away, chuckling against me. His calloused fingers ran roughly up the soft skin of my neck. I felt a flutter of something warm in my chest, a response that had nothing to do with our magickal bond and everything to do with the man before me.